Center for Civil Society Releases Park Mesa Heights Report

In 2007, the Los Angeles Urban League (LAUL) announced the “Neighborhoods@Work” Initiative, a 5-year strategic plan designed to address issues related to education, employment, health, housing, and safety in neighborhoods throughout South Los Angeles. The ultimate goal of LAUL’s initiative is to create a best practices model for sustainable neighborhood change that can be replicated in other urban communities across the nation. LAUL’s initial effort focuses on a 70-block area in the predominantly African American community of Park Mesa Heights.

At the request of LAUL, the UCLA School of Public Affairs agreed to assist LAUL by assessing neighborhood level changes associated with the quality of life for stakeholders in Park Mesa Heights, as defined by LAUL. The project is critical to understanding the nature and magnitude of the problems facing stakeholders in Park Mesa Heights and to identify potential effective interventions. In addition, the project aligns with the UCLA School of Public Affair’s goal to create greater capacity in monitoring changes and evaluating neighborhood progress by developing a framework for future neighborhood assessments. This analytical brief "Neighborhood Assessment of Park Mesa Heights," examines civic engagement, education, employment, housing, and public safety in the PMH project area.

This assessment was authored by Professor Paul Ong and School of Public Affairs students Linda Hui, Silvia Jimenez, and Karissa Yee.